Treated fabrics



TREATED FABRICS Charles R. Williams, Longmeadow, Mass., assignor to Monsanto Chemical Company, 'St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed Oct. 21, 1957, Ser. No. 691,154

12 Claims. (Cl. 117138.8)

This invention relates to fabrics having improved physical properties. More particularly, the invention relates to synthetic linear polyamide taifetas and other fabrics impregnated with certain multicomponent vinylidene interpolymer latices.

The textile industry has experimented with various finishing compositions for improving the hand of taifetas, poplins, and other plain-weave fabrics woven fro-m synthetic linear polyamides and similar materials. However, the only compositions disclosed in the prior art which impart a soft, full hand to such fabrics without undue stiffness or a rubbery feel are relatively expensive. It has now been found that the desired soft, full hand may be imparted to such fabrics by the use of a more economical finishing composition, which is also useful for improving the physical properties, such as hand, tear resistance, wrinkle recovery, abrasion resistance, and dimensional stability of other fabrics.

One object of this invention is to provide fabrics having improved physical properties.

Another object is to improve the physical properties, such as hand, tear resistance, wrinkle recovery, abrasion resistance, and dimensional stability, of various fabrics.

A further object is to impart a soft, full hand to taffetas, poplins, and other plain-weave fabrics woven from synthetic linear polyamides and similar materials.

These and other objects are attained by impregnating a fabric with an aqueous latex of a multicomponent vinylidene interpolymer as hereinafter described and drying the impregnated fabric.

The following examples are given to illustrate the invention. Except where otherwise specified, percentages mentioned are percentages by weight.

Example I A taffeta-weave fabric woven from polyhexamethylene adipamide filaments is impregnated with a solids aqueous latex of an interpolymer comprising 40% 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 52% styrene, 6% acrylonitrile, and 2% methacrylic acid so as to deposit in the fabric about 6% latex solids, based on the weight of the untreated fabric. The impregnated fabric is dried and passed between heated calender rolls to form a smoothfinished fabric having a soft, full hand.

Example II A cotton fabric is treated with a dimethylol ethyleneurea condensate to form a fabric having a warp plus fill wrinkle recovery of about 260 as determined by ASTM test D1295-53T. This treated fabric is impregnated with an aqueous latex of an interpolymer comprising 40% Z-ethylhexyl acrylate, 52% styrene, 6% acrylonitrile, and 2% methacrylic acid so as to deposit in the fabric about 1% latex solids, based on the weight of the untreated cotton fabric. The fabric is then dried and subjected to ASTM test Dl295-53T for determining its wrinkle recovery characteristics. It has a warp plus fill wrinkle recovery of about 280. The impregnated ice fabric also has an improved hand and increased tearand abrasion-resistance.

Example III A woolen fabric is impregnated with an aqueous latexv of an interpolymer comprising 40% tridecyl acrylate, 30% styrene, 22% alpha-methyl styrene, 6% acrylonitrile, and 2% methacrylic acid to deposit in the fabric about 7% latex solids, based on the weight of the untreated fabric. The treated fabric is subjected to Federal Specification -CCC-Tl91b Methods 5558 and 5554 consecutively to determine its shrinkage characteristics. The average felting shrinkage of the warp and fill dimensions of the fabric, as determined by this. test, is about. 6%, compared to an average felting shrinkage of about 19% in the warp and fill dimensions of the untreated woolen fabric, as determined by the same test. The treated fabric has a soft hand.

The textile finishing compositions of this invention are aqueous latices of interpolymers comprising (1) 35-60% by weight of an unsaturated ester of the group consisting of the esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids with alkanols containing 5-20 carbon atoms and having 5-14 carbon atoms in the longest continuous chain thereof, (2) 3-10% by Weight of an unsaturated nitrile 0f, the group consisting of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile, (3) 2-5% by weight of an unsaturated acid of the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, cinnam-ic acid, atropic acid, and crotonic acid, and (4) correspondingly, 60-25% by weight of a monovinylidene aromatic compound of the group consisting of monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons. These latices are prepared by an aqueous emulsion polymerization process wherein the unsaturated nitrile is partially polymerized together with 1 /z.3 times its weight of the monovinylidene aromatic compound prior to the addition of the remainder of the monomers. These latices and processes for preparing them are more fully described in US. Patent 2,767,153, which description is incorporated herein by reference.

Preferably, the aqueous latices comprising the textile finishing compositions of this invention have a solids content of about 5-10% by weight. Latices having the desired solids content may be obtained by diluting latices having higher solids contents.

The fabrics which are treated with the finishing compositions of this invention are woven from fibers or filaments of natural or synthetic materials, e.g., cotton, wool, synthetic linear polyamides, synthetic linear polyesters, acrylics such as acrylonitrile polymers and interpolymers, vinylidene chloride polymers, cellulosics such as cellulose acetate, etc. The fabrics are impregnated with the finishing compositions by conventional techniques, e.g., padding, and dried. If desired, the dried fabric may be passed between heated calender rolls to assure formation of a smooth film.

The treated fabrics of this invention have improved physical properties, such as improved hand, greater tear resistance, increased wrinkle recovery, greater abrasion resistance, and increased dimensional stability. Of particular interest are the latex-impregnated taifetas, popli-ns, and other plain-weave fabrics Woven from synthetic linear polyamides and similar materials. These treated fabrics have a soft, full hand and are particularly useful in the manufacture of womens apparel. They may be obtained more economically than similar treated fabrics made by the use of previously known finishing compositions.

If desired, the effects of the present finishing composi. tions may be modified by employing them in combina! tion with conventional finishing compositions, e.g., com positions containing melamineor urea-aldehyde conden- 3 sates such as methylol melamine and dimethylol ethyleneurea condensates. Fabrics may be treated with the conventional finishing compositions and then with the finishing compositions of this invention, as in Example II, but in commercial applications it is usually prefer red to combine the two finishing compositions in one treating bath.

It is obvious that many variations may be made in the products and processes set forth above without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric impregnated with the dried residue of an aqueous latex of an interpolymer, said interpolymer comprising (1) 35-60% by weight of an unsaturated ester of the group consisting of the esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids with alkanols containing -20 carbon atoms and having 5-14 carbon atoms in the longest continuous chain thereof, (2) 310% by weight of an unsaturated nitrile of the group consisting of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile, (3) 2-5% by weight of an unsaturated acid of the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, cinnamic acid, atropic acid, and crotonic acid, and (4) correspondingly, 60-25% by weight of a monovinylidene aromatic compound of the group consisting of monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons, said interpolymer having been prepared by partially polymerizing the unsaturated nitrile together with 1 /z3 times its weight of the monovinylidene aromatic compound, adding the remainder of the monomers, and completing the interpolymerization.

2. A fabric as in claim 1 wherein the fabric is wool.

3. A fabric as in claim 1 wherein the fabric is cotton.

4. A fabric as in claim 1 wherein the fabric is a plainweave fabric woven from a synthetic linear polyamide.

5. A fabric as in claim 4 wherein the interpolymer comprises 40% by weight of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 6% by weight of acrylonitrile, 2% by weight of methacrylic acid, and 52% by weight of styrene.

6. A fabric as in claim 1 which is additionally impregnated with a member of the group consisting of melamine-aldehyde and urea-aldehyde condensation prod- 4 ucts.

7. A process which comprises impregnating a fabric with an aqueous latex of an interpolymer and drying the impregnated fabric; said interpolymer comprising (1) 35-60% by weight of an unsaturated ester of the group consisting of the esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids with alkanols containing 5-20 carbon atoms and having 5-14 carbon atoms in the longest continuous chain thereof, (2) 310% by weight of an unsaturated nitrile of the group consisting of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile, (3) 25% by weight of an unsaturated acid of the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, cinnamic acid, atropic acid, and crotonic acid, and (4) correspondingly, 6025% by weight of a monovinylidene aromatic compound of the group consisting of monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons, said interpolymer having been prepared by partially polymerizing the unsaturated nitrile together with 1 /z3 times its weight of the monovinylidene aromatic compound, adding the remainder of the monomers, and completing the interpolymerization.

8. A process as in claim 7 wherein the fabric is wool.

9. A process as in claim 7 wherein the fabric is cotton.

10. A process as in claim 7 wherein the fabric is a plain-weave fabric woven from a synthetic linear polyamide.

11. A process as in claim 10 wherein the interpolymer comprises by weight of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 6% by weight of acrylonitrile, 2% by weight of methacrylic acid, and 52% by weight of styrene.

12. A process as in claim 7 wherein the fabric is additionally impregnated with a member of the group con sisting of melamine-aldehyde and urea-aldehyde condensation products.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,767,153 Sutton Oct. 16, 1956 2,787,561 Sanders Apr. 2, 1957 2,848,357 Harris Aug. 19, 1958, 

1. A FABRIC IMPREGNATED WITH THE DRIED RESIDUE OF AN AQUEOUS LATEX OF AN INTERPOLYMER, SAID INTERPOLYMER COMPRISING (1) 35-60% BY WEIGHT OF AN UNSATURATED ESTER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ESTERS OF ACRYLIC AND METHACRYLIC ACIDS WITH ALKANOLS CONTAINING 5-20 CARBON ATOMS AND HAVING 5-14 CARBON ATOMS IN THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS CHAIN THEREOF, (2) 3-10% BY WEIGHT OF AN UNSATURATED NITRILE OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLONITRILE AND METHACRYLONITRILE, (3) 2-5% BY WEIGHT OF AN UNSATURATED ACID OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLIC ACID, METHACRYLIC ACID, CINNAMIC ACID, ATROPIC ACID, AND CROTONIC ACID, AND (4) CORRESPONDINGLY, 60-25% BY WEIGHT OF A MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC COMPOUND OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND HALOGENATED MONOVINYLDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, SAID INTERPOLYMER HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY PARTIALLY POLYMERIZING THE UNSATURATED NITRILE TOGETHER WITH 11/2-3 TIMES ITS WEIGHT OF THE MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC COMPOUND, ADDING THE REMAINDER OF THE MONOMERS, AND COMPLETING THE INTERPOLYMERIZATION. 